Schneiderman in particular has criticized ExxonMobil for being too slow to account for the potential impact of government policies meant to combat climate change, which could curtail the fossil-fuel business.

He also accused ExxonMobil of misleading the public on the impact of greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels.

New York is one of multiple states investigating whether ExxonMobil—in its former incarnation as Exxon—suppressed research from its own scientists confirming the occurrence of climate change.